MISC. CHIT CHAT

Well, the chipped paint idea didn't turn out as I'd hoped.  So stopped mid-paint job, so to speak, and have put it aside to ponder what color to hook it next.

To keep my hook and hooking hand warmed up will continue work on the floral/geo.

With night temps steadily dropping I covered my volunteer plant several evenings to extend their life.  Then removed the protection in the morning.

Then when the weatherman said temps would drop to 32* at night I brought in all of the unripe ones.  The bag weighed 1.4 pounds.  Below you can see the yellow which matured and all the green ones.  I have already savored many yellow in salads so there were more of them than you see in the slender container on the left.

Day time I place the green ones in front of a sun filled window and at night like a good mom 😁 cover them with newspaper in their cardboard box bed with 2 bananas.  Did the bananas again because when the bananas get ripe I will freeze them for banana nut bread.

Happy weekend and happy hooking.

Saundra

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RUGS NEW AND OLD

The new rug would be Lauren's Hearts update.  Must say I like her black outlines much better than the dull dark wool I used to hook mine.  Hers looks much more crisp.

Love this naive and wonky big dog, little house rug.  Said to be hooked early 20th century (29.5 x 39.5).

Landscape with horse and ducks hooked between 1900-20, no dimensions were provided.

Inscribed with the word Home, date 1894 and the initials AK, the rug measures 23 x 36.  It is from the collection of Barbara M. and Charlie Hunter.

The cat rug is dated 1940 so doesn't qualify as an antique, but rather vintage.  Dimensions are 22 x 23.  Don't think I've ever seen a hooked rug at an angle like this.

The flowers remind me of poinsettia's for some reason, perhaps because there's so much Christmas advertising on TV, stores, and even Facebook.  Hooked circa 1900 size is 22 x 37.5.

Margaret Warwick made this rug of 2 cats by a fire in 1923.  Not sure if she was the original designer or the maker.  

Which was probably the inspiration for this design below.  Have no date or size for this one, sorry.

Sizeable rug of dog carrying a basket hooked late 19 to early 20th century (32 x 57.5).

Beautify deer head from New Canaan, CT hooked late 19th to early 20th century.

This sweet tabby cat was advertised as being hooked late 19th century and another from the Charles Hunter collection.  It has a bid on it.

Last but not least, is a Hutchinson rug, Gentleman in the Gutter.  It is hard to see but the 'gentleman' is prone at the very bottom of the rug.  The script is hard to read so will type the wording below the photo.

"A Gentleman In The Gutter Lies / His Face Upturned to the Starlit Skies / A Helping Hand A Word of Cheer / Would Dissipate the Fumes of Beer / The Fumes of Rum The Fumes of (?) / That Cause This Man to Succumb (?)  BTW, I was only able to give you these words because the auction house put them in the description.

That's it for this show.  Will work on binding my Hearts rug during The Five.  Happy hooking everyone.

Saundra

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A SMORGASBORD POST

Michelle sent me a photo of her heart in hand she created for the Hearts Hook along.  And see she's started the outlines, so it's coming together.

I'm presently stymied on what colors to hook for the house and dog.  I could hook the house in log cabin colors, but there's already plenty of brown in the rug.  Or could use a wool which gives the appearance of a chipped paint house.  But it is so close to the sheep would the house get  lost in the background just as the sheep?

And the dog...brown, black?  Again there's plenty of dark and brown in the rug.  So while I ponder the issue I've drawn an adaptation of the following antique from 1920 and will begin work on it.  Hoping again to use up more wool worms.

Yesterday I took 2 boxes to the thrift shop and among the items were these two small mats below.  The pixie was a challenge on a hooking site maybe 2 decades ago.   Thought if I designed a small 'jack in the box' style mat it would sell for a child's room at one of the shows I attended.  Had the same idea with the abc, 123 mat but neither sold and don't ever expect them to.  

I've too many rugs and plan to find homes for some of them.  A few listed for sale on my FB site have sold but more haven't.  Perhaps I'll reduce the price on some to see if they go then.

Feels like January instead of November, and wind howling like crazy making the actual temperature even colder.

God Bless our Veterans and thank you for your service.

Saundra

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RUG COLLECTIONS

Boy did I hit pay dirt with lots of wonderful rugs up for auction.  Not that I'll buy any but sure is great eye candy.  There are several rugs being sold from the collection of Barbara M. and Charlie Hunter.  Below is a great cat rug dated late 19th century.  It measures 31.5 x 40.5.  

Wonder if this Don't Shoot rug is a Hutchinson?  Dated 1889 its dimensions are 37.5 x 47.5.

A farm family, reminiscent of Granny Donaldson cow blanket designs.  Dated early 20th century it measures a whopping 63.5 x 75.  Another from the collection of Barbara M. and Charlie Hunter.

Definitely a Hutchinson design is this Friend in Need rug.  Said to be hooked early 20th century (32 x 50).

A dog watching over ducks and chickens, late 19th to early 20th century.  Size is 28 x 44 another from the Hunter collection. 

There are more duck and dog rugs from the Hunter collection.

Perhaps Mr. Hunter was a, uhm, hunter?  Dated early 20th century (27 x 42.5). 

And a duck family, late 19th to early 20th. 

Cat and mouse hooked late 19 to early 20th century.   

A floral, dimensions are 23.5 x 38.

Lastly, a deer with scrolls, no other information.

That's an even dozen for this show but there's lots more where these came from.  Seems it's either feast or famine finding rugs and it has been a feast lately.

Saundra

www.facebook.com/WoodlandJunctionHooked Rugs

HEARTY PROGRESS

Even with Lauren's frantic busy schedule of late, she managed to find time for this Heart update. 

Having the border hooked in gives this a whole new fresh appearance and looks perfectly color coordinated.  I'm not so sure it needs that walnut bath she spoke of previously.  Seeing hers makes me wish I'd used darker wool for the outlines.

After my rug was hooked I reverse hooked a couple places.  Not sure if you will notice any difference but this is what it looks like now.

Below is the before.  

My rug looks anemic compared to Lauren's.  Oh well, no time to worry about that now I've still one to finish and one to draw.

Saundra

www.facebook.com/WoodlandJunctionHooked Rugs

NOOKS, CRANNIES and OTHER THINGS

I've been busy, but not rug hooking busy since reverse hooking a few loops in the hearts rug.  I digress... Although I haven't required new glasses and vision hasn't changed in a few years, I wanted new ones anyway.  When ordering them last Friday asked if they accepted donations of old prescription glasses.  Answer was yes, so I gave them about 8 of my old glasses that day.   

I'd never thrown the old ones away so began a search in all the nooks and crannies in every room.  Oh what a pandora's box was opened.  My new glasses will be in the end of this week or next week and I've found 5 more pair to donate.

Found a tin box of letters from family and friends after we moved from Maryland to California.  Haven't had time to re-read any of them yet as I've still a lot of clutter to go through.

Found a few photos which haven't seen the light of day for decades.  A couple were from my 2nd marriage which I try to forget ever happened.  The one below surprised me and at first wasn't sure who it was.  This was taken in 1987 according to the stamp on the back.  All that's missing are the height lines in the back and a number, lol.

Even found an old pocket calendar where I'd made notations of my ex's excuses for not being home or arriving late.  All the signs were obvious  for a while but kept ignoring them.  There were notations on a few months in that calendar.  Talk about love is blind!!

Amazing how many pencils, highlighters and ballpoint pens which didn't work there were in the school marm's desk.  Lots of clutter has found its way to the trash, some things salvaged or given to the thrift shop and prescription glasses to the eye doctor.  But there's still residue junk still to sort thru.

And there's more ~ new unused Cross pen and pencil sets.  Do employers still give those to office employees when they leave?  I've never used these so they are going to the thrift shop.   Plus hundreds of miscellaneous greeting cards which may have been separated from it's mate.  So  far I've been able to match up a bunch and put them into plastic envelope and have many more to sort thru.  They, too, are going to the thrift shop.  

Wind is howling again today so not putting myself in harm's way working outside in case a limb should drop on my head.  Afterall, you saw what one did to my gutter guards.

Saundra

HEART HOOKING UPDATE

It's no surprise to me that Margaret Zenk has her rug all hooked and bound already.  

Sue Swank's design is coming along nicely too.  Not sure how big her rug is but the chickens have nice detail so must be a sizeable rug.

Sheila Kennedy has made great progress too, happy to see her keeping those hands exercising pulling loops. 

And she confirmed that she did dye the wool for the hearts.

I have also finished hooking my rug.  Since this photo it has been steamed and ready for binding.  Hmm, but I see a couple strips of wool I'd like to replace already.  Should have inspected it closely before the photo and steaming.

That's it for this show.  Gonna get colder by Thursday I hear.  Now it's time for me to go outside and cover my tomato plant, just in case.

Saundra

MISC. CHIT CHAT

Wind has been horrific here the last couple days and lots of various size limbs to pick up.  But worse than the labor was the damage done to my newly shingled roof and leaf filter damage.  That is my reflection in the window. 

In a previous post I showed you the bounty of cherry tomatoes growing on  the volunteer plant.  With frost predictions I've covered the plant at night but most recently brought in some green ones to ripen inside.  I know some of you have told me yours are already gone.  But for next season you may want to consider bringing them indoors late in the season to ripen.  You can read about that HERE. 

This group of tomatoes are in a small cardboard box with a banana (as instructions suggest), covered with news paper.  I'll check on them every couple days to see if they have ripened.  Actually, I have brought in a few at a time which seemed to be changing from green to a hint of yellow and put them in a different area under newspaper and they have ripened and have used them in a salad.

In rug hooking news, Margaret Zenk has finished hooking her Heart Hook-along and even has that baby bound!  Boy, when she starts something she doesn't stop until it is done.  I'll not show her rug yet, to give readers a brief break and to give those who haven't sent me their first photo to send one in.  Plus mine will be done soon and the next update should be a great show.

Must say I did enjoy that extra hour of sleep last night.  Problem is now that it will be dark around 5 p.m.  But since I don't work any longer it's not a problem coming home after dark.  And soon Janice won't have to worry about that either as her retirement is coming up soon.  Hang on Janice, your time is coming.

Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.Facebook.com/WoodlandJunctionHookedRugs

ANOTHER HEART HOOK ALONG CREATION

I'm really enjoying the various creative designs you gals have presented.  This one is from Margaret Zenk who has participated in several challenges and hook a long's I've hosted.

She chose to do a floral center with heart flowers.  And  think it is intended to be an accompanying piece to an antique rug she purchased and recently showed me....which is below.  

Great work, as always, Margaret.  Looking forward to seeing it finished and knowing you, there will probably be a few tweaks here and there before it is completely done.

Happy hooking.

Saundra 

ANOTHER HEART

There's an addition to the Hearts Hook-along.  This one is the work of Michelle Hoover, who is self-taught just since February of this year.  Not only do her loops look like a seasoned hooker pulled them, the story behind her design is very special.

Michelle and her mom had a beauty shop for the last 38 years.  In April Michelle turned off the lights, closed up shop and is now her mother's full time caregiver.  The design she drew has such significance to their life's story ~ her mom had Michelle's heart in her hands when she was growing up.  And now that her mom needs care, it is Michelle who has her mother's heart in her hand.

To quote Michelle:  I'm proud to say I'm a "hooker" who has also become a Wool Connoisseur!!!  Lol  I love hooking !!!"

Happy hooking everyone.

Saundra